Crossmember for a Vehicle Dashboard Provided with a Reinforcing Back Brace Made of a Fibrous Composite

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle dashboard crossmember (2) including a crossbar which extends lengthwise along a generatrix line (G) that is directed substantially along the width of the vehicle body and transversely relative to the direction of travel of said vehicle, as well as at least one connection flange (3, 4) designed to enable said crossbar (2) to be attached to said body, said crossbar (2) consisting, over at least a portion of the length thereof, of a load-bearing web (10) that has a side wall (11) rounded about said generatrix line (G) so as to have, in a cross-section perpendicular to the generatrix line, a first arm (12) and a second arm (13) that are connected to one another via a common connection portion (14) and which thus define a cavity (15), and of a reinforcing brace (20) made of a fibrous composite material.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is the US National Stage of International Application No. PCT / EP2013 / 061389, which was filed Jun. 3, 2013 and which claims the priority to French application 1255343 filed on Jun. 7, 2012 the content (text, drawings and claims) of which is incorporated here by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to the general domain of crossmembers used in vehicle construction, and more specifically to crossmembers which are mounted to the vehicle body, transverse to the drive direction, to provide means for mounting the dashboard of the vehicle as well as various accessories such as climate control unit, steering column, fuse box, glove compartment, etc.[0003]It is known that crossmembers generally comprise a crossbar made of steel tubing which extends between two mounting flanges securing the bar to the body of the vehicle, and which is usually also supported by a central strut attached to the floor...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent proposes a new crossmember for a vehicle dashboard that combines high mechanical properties with light weight and vibrational performance. Additionally, it proposes a new fabrication method that results in a versatile and simple, fast, and inexpensive to implement crossmember.

Problems solved by technology

Although known crossmembers generally perform satisfactorily, particularly because of their rigidity, they may nevertheless have some drawbacks.

Their fabrication may require particularly heavy, cumbersome and costly tooling, including for instance shear presses and welding machines, as well as stamping presses specially equipped with the necessary punches and dies.

In addition, the relatively heavy weight of known crossmembers complicates their manipulation during assembly and contributes to making the vehicle heavy, negatively affecting the fuel consumption of the vehicle.

Finally, it is often difficult to arrange the crossmember in the proper way in order to avoid resonance phenomena likely of propagating towards the cabin emanating from engine vibrations or vehicle body.

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